A Path That's Already Known
by Melian Elengaer
Summary: "And it is in favour of peace and the great love Eru Ilúvatar has for his creations, just as much as I love mine, that he has granted us this unique chance to go back, undo what has been done; and perhaps, make it better." Aulë and Tauriel join forces in order to convince the great powers above that Durin's sons deserve a second chance. It is all up to Tauriel now.
1. Journey To The Past

A/N: it's been quite some time since I last wrote something for this fandom, doesn't mean I stopped loving it. So, what can I say? I wasn't expecting Kili, Fili and Thorin to survive because I knew the movie would be canon-verse, but fuck did it hurt.

I'm not one to cry at the movies, but I cried a river and there was no barrel to save me from drowning in my own tears. **That **much it pained me to watch them die, in the book at least you're like happily reading and then _boom_, they're dead, no pain inflicted because you don't know how they effing die. But now I know (thank you, Jackson).

So this is, basically, me still not being okay with their deaths.

Disclaimer: were it mine, they wouldn't die.

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><p>The stars didn't shine that night, or any night after the Battle of the Five Armies.<p>

Tauriel went back to Mirkwood, as a commoner. King Thranduil had been kind enough to let her go back after banishing her, and she was nowhere near of turning that offer down. It wasn't queer to see her pacing back and forth in front of that single and awkward cubicle of a cell; with Legolas away and her poor social abilities, not to mention her pain, she became isolated from everything and everyone.

Just one more time.

One more time would have been enough.

Spiders, Morgul poisoned shafts, Morgul poison itself… Name it, she had saved him. But not from that orc, not from Bolg. That scene played over and over again inside her head, and every single time she saved him. It was when hope crawled its way inside her heart that she forced reality back into her brain and changed her alternative ending for the ever moving picture of him dying, exhaling his life away.

Then, when no one watched, Tauriel cried. Had she not been paralyzed by surprise and fear, had she been faster, perhaps she could've saved him. She still wanted Kili to fulfil his promise, she wanted him to come back to her.

_Ilúvatar… _

_Manwe… _

_Varda… _

_Anyone, just bring him back…_

Thorin Oakenshield's cousin, Dain, had not stayed in Erebor. The mountain served as a tomb and Durin's sons rested there, all three of them. Tauriel often wondered what would've happened if they had survived. Call it wishful thinking, but she didn't see a future where their survival could bring any harm.

So Tauriel made up her mind and willingly abandoned Mirkwood, this time Thranduil didn't promise a merry welcome back; and she didn't really care. She set out for the place where the sages now presumed Cuiviénen had been or would be.

Her kin had been born there.

It was a sacred place, and perhaps there the Valar would listen to her prayers. With each passing day, by horse or by foot, her hope grew weaker; her only remedy was to coax herself into thinking that there was nothing left to lose by trying. The world they now lived in was far from being the Middle-Earth the Elves of the First Age had once known, the lands were uneven; but she still stepped lightly as ever and put her mind to rest in the paths of the Elvish dreams of yonder, sleep wasn't really a necessity. And in her situation it was a relief, for when she slept nightmares would creep back in, like the sun was bound to rise from behind the mountains every single day, she couldn't avoid them.

When she ran into orcs she killed them mercilessly. She saw Bolg's face in each of them, and either by arrow or knife they perished. She would be forever grateful to Legolas for getting rid of that miserable maggot, yet there was a part of her that would also wish forever to have been given the chance to finish him herself.

She wouldn't deny it, she was a vengeful creature. And she wanted vengeance just as much as she wanted Kili back; her blood went cold when she acknowledged the fact that she was most likely to live forever without getting either of those.

Then she'd twist the knife further in. Tauriel could feel the blade sliding in between the bones of her ribcage, through her lungs and then aiming to pierce her heart.

_Why can't you get you want? _She'd ask.

And answer almost immediately _because both love and foe are dead._

Sometimes her jaw trembled and her eyes watered, foreshadowing a breakdown she wouldn't let herself have out in the open lands. Mirkwood was far, far away… Erebor, Esgaroth… all of them were leagues away from where she was now standing, the second she abandoned the only home she'd ever known she promised she wouldn't let tears cloud her judgement.

_Tears_, Tauriel thought, _are going to be shed when I finally reach my destination and find my cause was as doomed as it seemed or proved to be successful. Not a second before._

On her way, she met Men and other Elves. None of them delayed her and were kind to her; Men, she gathered, because they were fascinated with her, many of them said Elves didn't wander those lands and were a rare view. And her kin because they were exactly that: just like her.

In all truth the only delay she suffered was the one she inflicted on herself. She got lost. And how could she not? She was heading to a place that didn't exist, if it could be put into words, she was travelling to a memory. North, West, South, East… it didn't matter, no map could help her. Tauriel would only know she'd gotten there when she got the feeling she had.

She might as well have aimed for Aman, just as impossible.

Days turned into months and perhaps months became years, Tauriel reached a point where keeping track of time was just a whim, folly even. For all she knew she looked the same, Tauriel only noticed time was taking a toll on her when the soles of her shoes were completely destroyed or her clothes were worn out. Every now and then she'd get a horse, but as her journey went on those occasions hardly ever presented.

Some days or nights, when not even her mystical traits could save her from becoming tired, Tauriel opened her bag and fished out a small blank book, along with a plume and ink. There she drew her own maps, took notes of the lands surrounding her, wrote down which berries and plants could be eaten and which were poisonous. Slowly that book became her own treasure, along with Kili's rune stone, which she always kept close to her heart when it was not being gripped to death by her hand.

_Oh Tauriel… you have forgotten the sound of your own voice._

And it was true.

She hadn't talked to anybody for so long she believed possible her throat to have magically grown spider webs in her vocal cords, so whenever danger wasn't nearby, and in order to keep her sanity, Tauriel took to singing.

"_Ask me not where I'm going,_

_for I'm carried by the West Wind to a place I have only seen in dreams._

_O wandering wind,_

_you see me walk in empty lands,_

_under no Moon where the stars no longer shine._

_Soon the green grass will turn into sand,_

_and I'll be left with nothing but my empty heart._

_For my foes took everything I ever wanted, that I refused to love,_

_O great Eru up above…_

_Help me find who I'm looking for."_

One particular night she was bathing in a river she couldn't possibly know the name of, it resembled the Anduin and it ran swiftly down the hill, when she got an odd tingling inside her chest. It tickled. Something told her she needed to go uphill as fast as her legs allowed her, and so she did. Barely managing to dry herself up and putting her clothes back on, Tauriel hid her belongings under the roots of a big tree that grew by the Anduin-like river and sprinted to the top of the hill that was so desperately calling out for her.

Her lack of breath should've embarrassed her, by the time she reached the top she was panting, heaving.

But there she was, she knew deep in her gut she had reached the place she'd started that journey for. Without further ceremony she dropped to her knees and started her litany.

_Eru…_

_Manwe…_

_Varda…_

_Ulmo…_

Hours. For hours she tried reaching them but to no avail.

"Please! Please! Just… please listen to me…" then tears fell. Ulmo would've been proud of her, no other elf could produce that much water. When Tauriel was on the verge of falling asleep, she realized she had called out to all the Valar except to the one Vala who could actually help her. Or understand her reasons at the very least.

"Aulë…"

She needn't say anything else, for she got an answer.

Like if he had been waiting for her to say his name, Tauriel felt Aulë's touch and then she was lost in light and stars, nature and water… It was hard not to be aware it was all a dream, but it felt so real Tauriel shivered. The first thing she saw was what she presumed was Manwe's throne, next to it, beautiful like no poem or legend could ever describe was Varda.

The great Manwe appeared then; he sat down and waved his hand at someone Tauriel presumed was behind her. Unaware of her body, Tauriel thought she had gone down on one knee but couldn't warrant her life on it. Then she noticed someone was standing beside her.

"Tell me, Aulë, what is this all about."

"This daughter of Eru Ilúvatar is in great pain, I am sure you're not oblivious to it. I brought her here so you could listen to her."

"And why do you care?" Tauriel didn't dare look up.

"Because I feel the pain, too. We share this grief, for it is the loss of three of my most beloved creations that also pains her."

That sentence was followed by silence.

"You're not allowed to have favourites." So he _did _know what Aulë was talking about.

"But I'm allowed to be fair and to appeal at your sense of justice. I once made the mistake of making decisions on my own without asking for permission, and I won't do it again. That's why I'm here, that's why she's here. The everlasting quarrel between the Naugrim and the Elves might have finally reached its end, union and friendship at last."

"Speak."

This time Tauriel knew Manwe was talking to her.

And so she did. She told him everything.

Manwe didn't respond, he instead told Aulë to come closer, same with Varda. Then Ulmo appeared, along with Yavanna… she could hear Yavanna say _she's in love _and just as Tauriel was slowly coming back to reality, she noticed they were having a council. They were actually considering what she had respectfully asked of them and what Aulë had wordlessly requested.

Tauriel snapped back to reality with the next blink of her eyes, and she was alone. No Valar. Still she didn't leave. If she left at that point she was sure she'd never get the answer she longed for; so she looked up and for the first time glanced at the night sky with new eyes, it was only when she was trying to locate constellations that she realized she had met the Valar…

"_Tauriel_."

Sang a voice in the wind and she closed her eyes.

It was all black and spotless, but she knew Aulë was there.

"_We won't bring them back. It is not our place to decide who lives and who dies; those decisions belong to The One. Now, there will come a day when alliances will be needed, darkness still wanders Arda in many forms. And it is in favour of peace and the great love Eru Ilúvatar has for his creations, just as much as I love mine, that he has granted us this unique chance to go back, undo what has been done; and perhaps, make it better. For all I know I can't assure you the outcome you desire, but the opportunity is granted. The days will go back, the Sun will turn and the Moon will go back on a path that's already known. Back to that faithful day you will go, and hopefully this time you will save them."_

The next time Tauriel opened her eyes she was watching Kili, Fili and Thorin going up Ravenhill.

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><p><em>I <em>am no Tolkien, but _I _am the writer of this fic and if I say Eru and the Valar support this, they do. I also say this will have perhaps three parts, four if I feel confident enough to write an epilogue.

Review? :)


	2. What Never Happened, Now Has

"_Tell me, master Dwarf, __of all that has been, I beg you. I need to know."_

_Tauriel remembered taking Dwalin's rough and dirty hands in hers as she sadly requested him to tell what had happened to Fili and Thorin, and all that occurred before she met Kili uphill with Bolg. She remembered his desolated eyes. Thorin Oakenshield's company had known the odds of them surviving the entire adventure were non-existent when compared to the ones of dying; death had always been a part of the equation, and still it took them by surprise. Perhaps they didn't expect to lose their three heirs, the ones alive were not the ones they expected to see and the ones who joined the lines of the dead were whom their arms longed to hug once more; that much Tauriel knew could be possible._

_The Dwarves wouldn't grieve in the same way Elves would, traditions were different. But in that very moment their soul crumbled, and they cried for their lost brothers._

_And so she begged._

_And so Dwalin talked between tears he perhaps wasn't aware were falling, aided every now and then by the Halfling who had once managed to escape their prisons in Mirkwood._

"Legolas! We must hurry!" she shouted as she retrieved her knife from the side of an orc. Their armour was strong, but most of them had cracks that were not hard to get to. Her companion wasn't far behind, but just like the first time she lived that battle, Legolas' targets were the orcs. She, on the other hand, had different objectives and couldn't care less about orcs or how to properly kill them.

"If you run any faster you might as well catch flight, Tauriel!" she noticed his quiver was almost empty; part of the reason he wasn't keeping up with her was because he was busy picking up undamaged enemy shafts to shoot instead of using his arrows. If she intended to save the three dwarves then she couldn't approach the enemy all on her own, but waiting for Legolas to be on the same page was proving to be just as dangerous. Tauriel couldn't afford to waste a second.

Tauriel's thoughts were scattered all over the battlefield, she couldn't really think and all she could scream at Legolas was "_Gadas!" _

He stabbed an orc before rushing to her side _"Manen istog?" _looking at him from up close he looked dishevelled. He had stained part of his clothes with the black and hideous blood of the orcs and his left brow was bleeding. Elves were unlikely to lose their grace and elegance when they fought, but also, sometimes... they looked just like humans were it not for their pointy ears; and Legolas, despite his state, appeared to be as beautiful as ever. No wonder why his father had been against any sort of relationship between them.

"I just know."

Then she ran.

If her memory was as trustworthy as ever, then she was twenty minutes ahead of her past self. By that time, in the first battle, she had been far from Ravenhill, which she was currently climbing. Still, that didn't mean it had become easier. There were goblins everywhere; they seemed to pop out from the earth itself. Her disgust for both orcs and goblins had only grown with the years, and this time they were delaying her. Whenever her sharp knife stroke them or her pointy arrows pierced their skin, the creatures made awful sounds that would probably haunt her forever. She'd choose spiders any day.

The earth beneath her was slowly becoming soaked with the blood of the enemy, and she felt sick. Neither Thorin nor Dwalin had seen her yet, she took a quick peek over her shoulder and realized Legolas was nowhere to be seen. She sighed. Kili and Fili must be up and she needn't worry about Thorin yet, Azog wouldn't fight him until later. As she went Tauriel was cruelly reminded of the strength the wind had, it sent her hair flying all around and pushed her backwards when she was standing on a particularly difficult slope. It faintly carried the sounds of the battle going on, the clash of swords and the sound of arrows flying, cutting through the clouds like lightning.

Against common belief, despite having lived this before, it was all so different and hard Tauriel wondered if the Valar had done it on purpose. It was easier to bring them back to life, but no. They were making her live up to their expectations, she needed to show them she deserved this second chance. Her victory would mean everything, and if she didn't make it then Tauriel wasn't sure she could take losing Kili all over again, knowing she had had the opportunity to save him _twice_.

Busy as she was going through a tight stone passage, she didn't notice the orc behind her pointing an arrow at her. Tauriel only knew what was going on when she heard the echoes of the string when the orc let it loose, the almost whistle-like sound bounced all around the corridor. She turned around, barely managing to escape the lethal shot. Her arm wasn't as lucky though, there was an ugly gash produced by the ever lovely caress of the arrow's point.

Tauriel didn't know many orcs to be smart, and this most definitely wasn't. Seconds after the foul creature realized she was still breathing and practically unharmed, it charged. As he ran the sounds of his iron-clad feet hitting the ground carelessly made her internally shriek; but in a matter of seconds, when he was close enough, she took him down easily. When Tauriel exited the tunnel she gave a relieved respite, not more than a few slopes away, Kili was standing motionless, looking up.

The young dwarf was clenching his fists and he was surrounded by the corpses of his enemies, she was so busy assessing the rest of the hill seeking for faster ways to climb up she didn't realize the reason why Kili was paralyzed until it was too late. She heard Azog's ugly voice carried by the wind, what followed after she lifted her gaze was horrible. Not even flying could've helped her reach the prince and stop the sword. Mercilessly, Azog ended Fili's life and let him fall. It was too early to feel like a failure, but she did; she lost one of three when she was supposed to lose none.

And one was as far as it would go.

Kili rushed uphill and she followed close behind. When she realized there was no other path but the one she'd taken the first time, Tauriel braced herself and jogged her memory. If this was going to play back exactly the same way, then she better remember what Bolg's moves had been. She better beat him at his game.

When Bolg first appeared she was scared.

This time she was angry.

He was taller and stronger, but she could move faster. For all the times he had grabbed her and tried to kill her, this once she managed to escape his deadly grip. That didn't mean she was winning, because she hadn't wounded him at all. For a second she lost focus and Bolg hit her, sending her a few feet away, near the edge of the cliff again. She heard herself crying out in pain at his blow and that perhaps was what drew Kili's attention because in a matter of seconds he was there.

"Kili, get down!" ignoring the searing pain all over her body, Tauriel got up and thanked Ilúvatar Kili had listened to her, Bolg's arm didn't reach him. That small manoeuvre had bought them some time; Tauriel guessed it was due to priorities, the dwarf was a worthier prey; and so Bolg went after Kili and for a second he totally forgot about her. Tauriel leaped forward and encircled her arms around Bolg's wide neck, making pressure on his throat; of course she could never choke him, but if she could at least cut his supply of oxygen one bit to make him dazed, then she would give Kili a bigger shot at killing him.

It didn't surprise her when the orc turned around and ruthlessly hit his back against the solid rock of the hill, crushing her in the process. Tauriel could consider herself lucky if she got out of there with an unbroken spine. She was on the brick of letting go when Bolg shouted something Tauriel wouldn't dare pronounce, not even translate for the dark speech often unnerved her. When she stretched her neck to see what had caused Bolg's cry she noticed Kili had wounded him.

The second time Bolg turned around, the centrifugal force sent her flying once again. Tauriel landed on her feet and saw what Kili had done: there was a big, ugly cut on Bolg's chest that ran all the way down to his stomach, where his armour didn't protect him. Blood loss was as good as poor oxygen intakes. But he wasn't ready to go. He was still holding the big spike that killed Kili before and odds were he still had every intention to use it. When Kili fixed his eyes on her to check she was alright, Bolg grabbed him.

And there she was again. She made a move and failed. But it was the second move she had to get right, because that had been the one that could've saved him. Tauriel noticed she still had a knife attached to her right boot.

Tauriel grabbed the knife handle and prayed for Oromë's aim. Bolg was never distracted but he most definitely was tired, perhaps dizzy and at the moment, and unlike the first time, he was only focusing on Kili. Tauriel walked to the right, just when Kili's back was all she could see and Bolg was fully in front of her did the monster realize she was still standing. He looked up at her while he lowered the spike down at Kili's chest.

That was her chance.

She threw the knife. It all seemed to have slowed down, she could see her knife flying, the blade shining under the clouded sky as an omen of good luck.

And Oromë's aim had been with her.

The sharp blade of the knife hit home, it landed in Bolg's forehead, just between his eyes. Black blood began to run down his nose as his grip on Kili grew weaker, in a matter of seconds the orc's dead body fell down, crushing Kili. The spike never harmed him. Tauriel felt like crying, the war wasn't over but he was alive. With adrenaline still kicking in she couldn't feel her body crying out in pain, in fact she felt like flying… she rushed to Kili and with a strength she didn't know she possessed Tauriel pushed Bolg's body aside.

Kili's lungs didn't get a rest though, nor a chance to freely respire, for the second Bolg's body wasn't in the way, Tauriel flung herself at him and embraced him for dear life.

"Thank Aulë you're alright!" she whispered against his neck, breathing in his scent. The young dwarf hugged her back and pressed her body closer to his. She could feel his breath against her shoulder for a couple seconds before he lifted his head and tried to make her look at him.

"Aulë? _Mahal? _Now, why on Earth would you thank him specifically?" he faintly smirked.

She could've kissed him.

"You're alive…" Tauriel whispered, still searching his face for confirmation "I saved you." She smiled.

"It has become quite obvious who the damsel in distress is in our relationship, Tauriel. No need to brag about it."

_One is dead._

_One is alive, at the moment._

_The other one still needs saving._

"With all due respect, there's another damsel in distress. We need to go help Thorin. If what Dwalin and the Halfling told me is true, then he's near the river. There's no time to lose, Kili."

Their joyous moment now over, they both ran towards the river, but first Kili made her promise with one particular look she'd explain what was going on. Tauriel hoped they weren't too late, this part of the story she hadn't lived at all. There were no guarantees, no moves she could anticipate because no one had seen their fight.

The frozen river served as the stage of one legendary war, what they first saw was Azog falling into the gelid water, the weight of his own weapons dragging him down. Still they kept going.

_It's not over, it's not over. I can feel it._

They watched Thorin pacing as they approached, they were close, so close…

"Thorin!" Kili shouted.

"Kili?" answered Thorin before getting his foot pierced by a dagger.

When Azog emerged from underneath the frozen surface of the river Tauriel didn't know what to do. She didn't have any arrows left –she couldn't even remember where her bow was, and her knife was still buried in Bolg's forehead. Completely out of synchronization with her partners, Kili and Thorin attacked while she remained motionless for the shortest eternity. You couldn't see the white orc was armed to its teeth until you noticed how many weapons he dropped whenever Thorin charged and Kili punched. To be grateful for that would be insane, but she was.

Eventually Azog let go of his scimitar and she slid to it, squeezing the handle in her palm. Azog had knocked Kili out and his forehead was bleeding; Thorin on the other hand was fighting so enraged he barely left space between his own body and the orc's; if she wanted to attack she'd have to wait, either way she'd hurt the dwarf too.

It was hard to describe how Azog managed to kick Thorin in the chest, it almost seemed impossible but it had occurred. Being a psychic wasn't necessary to know the force of that kick had broken some ribs for sure; she knew Thorin Oakenshield would fight until the very end, regardless of his physical condition, the least she could do was give him a chance to slightly recover –Tauriel attacked Azog.

She dived headfirst into him, approaching him from behind. Her light steps prevented the orc from noticing her until she was too close to be stopped; when he turned he was pierced by his own blade. Tauriel could see the surprise in his eyes but also the mischief; he smirked and pulled out a small dagger, he let her get a glimpse of it before burying it in her side. He moved around then, trying to free himself from her but she didn't give in; she pushed the scimitar further in.

"Stupid elf" Azog hissed.

Tauriel wouldn't let go of the handle and Azog was twisting the dagger deeper into her, she cried out in pain and let her head drop. The excruciating pain she felt when he retrieved the blade almost blinded her… perhaps she wasn't the strong elf she always claimed to be. The blood paid no mind to her life and oozed out of the wound almost happily, she could feel it soaking her clothes and her limbs turned cold, her grip on the handle became weak and before she knew it she was on her knees.

She could see Azog's shadow and reflection on the ice, she saw him lifting his arm, holding the dagger and pointing down at her, ready to strike again when the sound of footsteps cracking some ice reached her ears. Somehow Thorin was now behind her and he was approaching at full speed. He didn't care about her wounded state, he used her as leverage and jumped, then Tauriel thought she saw his other foot stepping on the scimitar's handle.

Azog yelled only to be silenced by the touch of Orcrist cutting across his neck. She knew he was dead because his head hit the ground and she saw it roll until it disappeared into the crack Azog had made when he came out of the water.

Fainting was not an option.

She didn't want to.

But she did, wounded and beaten as she was Tauriel didn't know if she would ever open her eyes again.

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><p>Sindarin translation:<p>

_Gadas: _trap.

_Manen istog?: _how do you know?

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><p>AN: I updated, yay! Hope you liked it :)


	3. A New Perspective

A/N: Thank you for your reviews! I just want to hide somewhere and die out of happiness. And perhaps embarrassment, _syeern _pointed out I had a few errors so I edited last chapter, sorry I didn't notice them! I was half asleep when I uploaded the document.

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><p>It all felt surreal when she opened her eyes again. Memories danced their way back to her with every blink of her eyes, she remembered the fight along with saving Thorin and Kili. Fili's loss still weighed heavy on her heart and half a second after she acknowledged that painful memory, the rest of her body seemed to recall pain and hurt existed, and it all started aching at once. Tauriel was resting on her back and strangely enough she felt suffocated, she needed to sit up and get her wits together; make sure she wasn't dreaming. Had she really made it?<p>

The arm that had been wounded by the arrow was now bandaged and while it hurt to lean on it, it wasn't the sting she felt what stopped her from sitting up. There was a head resting on her belly.

This head had dark, long hair; and if the time to properly study said head was taken, then it was a sure thing you'd notice the tiny braids that helped holding part of the hair back from the dwarf's face. It was Kili. Lifting half of her body up leaning on her forearms, Tauriel stared at him carefully. Part of his charm died with the bandage that encircled his head and there was a sling holding his left arm; other than those she couldn't distinguish any other parts of his body to be injured.

Her sigh of relief awoke him, and she honestly hadn't meant to. Even though his face had been to the other side of the tent –because they were in the biggest tent she'd ever seen–, Tauriel knew he'd been sleeping peacefully, she could tell by the way his back went up and down as he breathed. It was amazing how happy it made her to know nightmares hadn't caught him just yet, that were kind enough to wait.

Kili turned and closed his eyes, when he opened them again he seemed mesmerized, but Tauriel could see what war had done to him, what it had taken. This was no time for endless declarations of love, no. If the war's rage had come to an end and they were alive, then this was the time to cry over Fili and the other deceased.

"I'm so sorry, Kili… So, so sorry…" she said and Kili just hung his head, the even rhythm of his breathing quickened and gave room to sobs, then he was just crying while he rested his head on her belly again. Seeing him suffering, Tauriel wondered if she had been selfish, facing eternity without him was a bitter destiny and she went to the Valar because _she _couldn't live without him, but what about _him? _The first time Kili's pain didn't last much; he joined his beloved brother at the expense of her devastation… Now he would have to live the rest of his life without him, and for all she knew, they weren't a couple of any sort, not yet. Love would never be enough reason for a dwarf and an elf to be together. Did her reasons justify what she'd done? Or what she didn't get to do even?

Tears rolled down her cheeks and eventually she joined him in his lament. The orcs had been defeated, that much was clear, but the glory of the victory lasted until the winners had to deal with the bodies of the dead. That part was never told in the legends, nobody wrote that on their books…

Later, Tauriel learned she'd been unconscious for two days. Kili eventually excused himself out of the tent and she didn't see him for the rest of the night. His family was more important to him at the moment and she was totally fine with that; instead she was gifted Legolas' company.

"Are you alright, _mellon?_" she asked him and Legolas nodded "I'm glad" Tauriel sat up and ignored the wave of pain that washed over her.

"You could've died."

He was so serious Tauriel feared he was angry, she knew her friend would be worried but the line between anger and worry was thin when it came to Legolas. If he deemed her reasons for risking her life yet again stupid he would be annoyed and she would never hear the end of it. Despite having her doubts regarding where her heart was Tauriel didn't regret it.

"I know."

The blond elf sighed.

"You shall be happy to know the goblins were defeated; their bodies are now ashes, the orcs' too. Thorin Oakenshield is healing rapidly thanks to our medicine, and weren't it for you and that young dwarf then he would probably be dead right now. He was conscious when you were found, by the Eagles no less," his expression softened "Tauriel, you were bleeding out. I was so scared you were going to die… all because of them. They don't even like us! Greedy, that's all they are! And you almost died saving them, tell me, why? Because you're in love with him? I refuse to believe that…"

It did sound ridiculous. But King Thranduil had said her feelings were real, and they still were.

"Legolas, this is just the calm before the storm, darker days are coming and paying attention to what we are and what they are not will only divide us when union is what we all require. I saved them because it was the right thing to do, because when you followed me to Esgaroth I _know _you did it because you think the same. You refuse to believe that I love Kili and _I _refuse to believe you think letting them die was okay because they're greedy. The King under the Mountain has now returned, now both he and your father can negotiate with the people of Esgaroth, rebuild Dale and Erebor! Fight the enemy together…" when she finished she was running out of breath, and her side was hurting due to the effort.

"I'm not blind, Tauriel! I know Sauron is growing stronger, but this war won't come knocking at our doors just yet!"

"Would it ever knock our doors? Your father hides in Mirkwood like a coward –I know he lost precious things to war, but he only fights the battles that can benefit him, and now, thanks to what I did, this one will. You say this war I'm talking about won't happen any time soon, but you know as well as I do that making amends between our people, the Dwarves and Men will take time. In sixty years we might still be walking our way to peace between the three races; it is never too soon to start patching up the road."

"Tauriel…"

"They are not the enemy."

Legolas gave her a hard look.

"Had they died you would be patting my back and trying to soothe me, I know. But now, despite the turn of events, I still need your support. You're the only friend I've ever known, I love you, Legolas. Don't turn your back on me because I decided to make room in my heart for someone you barely know but deem worthy of your rejection regardless. We're better than that."

Legolas approached to sit next to her and then he delicately wrapped his arms around her. They never touched, they never showed their feelings to the other, and still this embrace wasn't awkward. Her friend was hot-headed, stubborn and loved rules, but perhaps this experience had opened his eyes the way it had opened hers.

When they broke apart Tauriel stared into his blue eyes and made the only question she didn't wish to hear the answer to –not wholeheartedly.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I won't stay. My father has told me of a Dúnadan, a ranger; I hope to find him and with any luck, his father, too. I shall leave in the morning…"

"I'll bid you goodbye then."

Legolas smiled. "Better do it now, you need to rest," he extended his arm and held her hand "we will meet again someday, Tauriel. Don't look so sad, we're immortal after all. If we're blessed enough to survive this Age, then I'm sure this won't be the last time we see each other."

She received a light squeeze from his hand before he let go, Tauriel fought hard to hold her tears back as he stood up.

"_Ci maer?" _he asked and she swallowed hard to answer.

"_Ni maer."_ Tauriel didn't fully believe her words, but she would make peace with his absence eventually; she too had chosen a different path after all.

"_Ma. Novaer, mellon._ And by the way, King Thranduil will still welcome you in Mirkwood, whenever you wish."

The blond elf exited the tent, leaving her alone for the second time that day. Careful of her injures, Tauriel leaned back slowly until she was resting on her back once again; sleep found her easily after she placed her head on the pillow.

It was dawn when she was woken up by a healer changing her bandages, and after some light bickering, he gave her permission to stand and go outside.

…_Stretch my legs; otherwise they won't function when I need them next._ As she had so lively put it. When Tauriel stepped out of the tent she was greeted by a rather strong gust of wind aiming to push her back inside, she paid no mind to it and took in her surroundings –the land still dark from the lack of sunlight. Despite her three-day rest, her legs seemed to be working just fine, no wobbly feeling and with every step they just seemed to be getting stronger, had she been able to run, she would've done it.

She also noticed there were other tents, two of them just as big as the one she'd been kept into; with a little more observation it became obvious who those tents were for: one for Men, one for Dwarves and the other for her kin. The three refuges were facing Erebor's entrance, and going further into the landscape she could see the smoke coming out of the dying pyres. After some more harmless wandering she spotted a rock, far away enough from the three tents to avoid being disturbed for a while; she sat, closed her eyes and let her mind unravel. Her thoughts displayed in front of her like the stars on the night sky: some of them too close to the other to be distinguished and some others too far from their brothers to make a connection, so random even Tauriel wondered what were they doing in her head. Tauriel exhaled hard, her wound didn't hurt as much as it had the day before.

"I guess it's true and all Elves are early risers. The sun hasn't climbed up and all of you are running around the field like Dwarves in a mine."

Had she been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't seen Thorin Oakenshield coming? The King was sitting right next to her, and she wouldn't dare call it a smile, not even a little one; but he wasn't serious.

"What happened to…?" Thorin interrupted.

"My nephew?" she nodded and he lowered his head, facing the ground "He was buried like a prince should in Erebor; Durin must have welcomed him in his halls like a hero." Thorin paused for a minute or two, talking about that matter sure wasn't easy. Part of her wished to have been there for Kili, but common sense dictated someone like her didn't belong in such a private ritual.

Tauriel smiled "I'm sure he was. He was a brave dwarf, and a great brother."

"He was, indeed. Fili and Kili were incredibly close, like no other pair I've seen. A part of Kili has always belonged to Fili and now that he's dead, I'm afraid that part of him is gone too. But life goes on, even when we refuse to accept it."

Thorin lifted his gaze and turned to his right to look at her, in his eyes she could see a storm brewing, what he would say next she couldn't know.

"You saved him, and you didn't stop there. You also saved me. I will be eternally grateful for that, but I still have more to ask of you." _What if he wants me to stay away? _Tauriel wondered; not that she would ever stop trying, but living her life trying to knock down boundaries would take a toll on her spirit later. "Kili won't move on, the loss will always be with him. But I also know he can be happy again; lady Tauriel, it unnerves me to no end that he fell for you. It's unheard of. And still, all the reasons I have to be against this affair are eclipsed by the surprise of knowing you reciprocate his feelings. I already lost one nephew to death, and I despise the idea of losing another to sadness, I don't want his soul to die… Kili will have the support of his family, and the love of his friends; but it is your light what can save him from surrendering to the darkness that now approaches him like a disease. So save him again, don't let him become a ghost of the joyful prince he was once."

When Thorin Oakenshield finished his speech, Tauriel's pale skin was caressed by the warm sunlight, and _Ilúvatar…_ she had never felt so alive before.

"I will never stop saving him, my lord."

They remained in silence for minutes, processing the words that were exchanged and accepting them. Tauriel knew he meant what he said and she hoped he was aware her words were just as real and meaningful despite the length of the sentence.

When Thorin stood up Tauriel repeated the gesture, realizing his lower height didn't lessen his presence.

"Our downs were moderated," he said, Tauriel understood the hidden meaning behind his words and had a hard time believing that by _ours _he meant Elves, Men and Dwarves –and she couldn't believe it even after he confirmed it by halting halfway through his speech to let the words sink "the ones that aren't injured have been building cairns for the fallen that were not burned in the pyres, and your King has taken some of your people back to Mirkwood. You'll find Kili near the rocks, I know he didn't leave your side these days, but he'll be glad to see you're awake and walking anyhow."

And so Tauriel went to meet the only being her eyes truly wanted to see.

* * *

><p>Sindarin translation:<p>

_Ci maer?:_ Are you well?

_Ni maer:_ I am well.

_Ma. Novaer, mellon:_ Good. Farewell, friend.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, so maybe five parts. What do you say? I just thought that Tauriel needed closure with her Legolas chapter (because we didn't get that in the movie); and since having Thorin against their romance would damage this plot like a bomb, I believed it was nice to have them talking like civilized people (no need to fight or an audience) about what would happen next.

Next chapter I promise Kiliel everywhere, perhaps even rainbows and strawberry ice cream :)


	4. Moon On Fire

A/N: I'm excited to upload this chapter (also nervous, you'll understand why when you're finished).

**You shall pass now**, it is edited.

* * *

><p>A month went by silently, completely unnoticed for those who didn't track time. Part of Dain's people considered it wise to stay in Erebor and helped rebuild its glory; in a slow but steady rhythm the halls of the underground palace became full of people, the miserable conditions Smaug had made Erebor endure for years were nothing but a myth, a faraway memory in just a month.<p>

Many of those who lived to witness that reconstruction understood the importance of never underestimating a dwarf. The same couldn't be said about Dale, Dwarves helped every now and then, but Men were building Dale on their own accord and followed no other drum but their own. Some of them still longed for Esgaroth –or Laketown as they would so often call it; some others were busy shaping the legend of Bard the Bowman, slayer of the Dragon, the infamous Smaug… Men, was decided among the other races, were easily distracted and that was why Dale was taking them so long.

Mirkwood, Erebor and Dale were now working on trading treaties and they all seemed to be progressing, the benefit of the other also seemed to benefit them.

Regardless of the pace physical changes had, people were happy. Tauriel saw it in their faces whenever she visited, she could breathe it in the air and feel it all around her…

"Why do you spend so much time out here? Balconies are dangerous." She liked watching the landscape from up high, and Erebor was so beautifully located it made the whole experience something incredibly relaxing. She often forgot it wasn't her home and that she couldn't stay for much longer.

… _Why couldn't she feel like them?_

"Why did you have it built, then?" she asked, turning on her heels to meet Kili. He was taller than most dwarves, but she still had to look down when they talked sometimes. Tauriel smiled, glad to see he was completely recovered; all that remained were faint scars. Kili walked up to her, he took her hands in his and kissed them. Ever since she met him, Tauriel spent half of her time blushing; the other half she was busy feeling butterflies… the last month could compensate just fine for a lifetime of non-existent romance. She loved him for finding the time to be with her, now that he was officially the new heir, Thorin liked to keep him busy.

Kili gave her a look that could bring her to her knees. "I built it because it would make you happy. I know how much you love the stars and the Moon and everything involving the sky… But you're _always_ here, are you avoiding me?" the concern in his voice was evident despite his attempts at hiding it.

Her spirit, which had been soaring happily above her head seconds before, dropped on her like a rock and she felt crushed. "Of course I'm not avoiding you, I'm just…"

"You still haven't told me what happened in the battle, how you seemed to know what was going to happen, how and when… I've been trying to give you time because I know it can't be easy for you either, but Tauriel, I need to know."

Tauriel turned and walked to the stone railing of the balcony, she sat down and passed her long legs through the short columns, letting them hang like two pendulums in the wind. Kili followed her and rested his back against the railing, he didn't sit. She cherished those little moments in which he secretly loved being taller than her but would never admit it out loud. He just folded his arms and nodded his head to no one in particular: that was her cue to start telling the story.

"I saw you die…"

* * *

><p>By the time Tauriel finished her fantastic narration Kili was sitting right next to her, she thought she'd seen his knees giving in at some point but wouldn't call that out on him; Kili was clearly shocked. Meanwhile she found it hard to look at him…<p>

"I –I don't know what to say…" Kili clasped his hands and turned his head to fix his eyes on her.

"I regret being selfish, but I don't regret saving you or Thorin. The only thing I'm truly sorry for is…" there were ravens flying around, like spies to their conversation. Tauriel tried to focus on them to soothe her spirit.

"Fili. I know; you needn't say it. I sensed something was going on when you woke up and apologized like it had been your fault; I just never imagined it would be something like this…" Kili took a deep breath. "Did you really meet Mahal? I mean, Aulë?

Tauriel nodded.

"What happened after we died?"

"Erebor was abandoned; it served as your tomb; I reckon some people plundered it but the greater part of the riches remained here. Men rebuilt Dale, us Elves went back to Mirkwood and tried to go on with our lives."

"But you couldn't."

"I didn't _want _to. I was good at losing people until I lost the one I had been living to find."

The redhead finally raised her gaze to him when she saw his hand resting on her thigh, the touch so soft and light she wouldn't have believed it real were it not for her eyes, fixed on his hand seconds before she decided it was time to look at his face. His eyes were sparkling with unshed tears and she perfectly understood what lied in the depths of his heart, the feeling of being incomplete she knew all too well. Tauriel had been in the exact same position when he died.

Kili gave her a watery smile. "I think it's sad, Tauriel," he whispered. And she asked him to continue with a pleading look in her eyes, for she couldn't find her voice. The knot that was forming inside her throat was so big it would take her hours to swallow it, "tell me, love, why you let it go that far? I'm flattered you did all of that just for my family and I, but it's painful to know I had to die for you to realize you loved me."

A tear rolled down her cheek and Kili brushed it away with his thumb, he pressed his forehead to hers then, and she watched him close his eyes.

"Tauriel, I trust I'll see Fili again someday, sooner or later I'll meet him in Durin's house. The memory of my beloved brother will always be with me, and I won't ever forget him despite the pain his absence causes me. I do think you were selfish, but in your selfishness I also see the most selfless act, you could've died; there were no guarantees you would succeed and still you kept going. And that makes me wonder: what will happen when I die again? I can't escape death, my lifespan is long but I will die, eventually, and I don't believe the Valar can interfere twice… Perhaps it doesn't make sense to you, but if loving a mortal being causes you more pain than joy; then I don't want to be the one you love. I don't want to be the reason you keep making sacrifices."

At her lack of response Kili opened his eyes only to find Tauriel staring back at him with adoration. She twisted her torso a bit more to get a better angle and placed both of her hands on his face, cupping it. The knot disappeared, ran away from her throat at full speed like a deer from a hunter, and then she could breathe. His words hurt her just as much they healed her.

"The second we met I felt something, and by the way you looked at me I knew you had felt it too. It scared me. And it scared me even more the fear that invaded me every time you got in trouble. Do you know what it's like? To fear for the life of someone you barely know? That's why I kept running after you, because even though I refused to admit it, deep down I knew what I felt. I would've never parted ways with you that day had I known it was smarter to follow my heart, it almost feels like a misdeed to have chosen another path. Yet here we are, talking about love like it's something we're familiar with when we haven't even said it to the other…"

The elf laughed between sobs, feeling somewhat flabbergasted with the sound both of those produced when combined.

"In Esgaroth, you asked me if I could have ever loved you," she started, running her thumb across his lower lip "and I could. I'm pretty sure I already did by then, I love you, _amralime_. I fear there's nothing you can do to change that." By saying that word she confirmed his suspicion: she knew what he had meant.

Tauriel didn't dare move; their faces hovered, inches apart. She liked having him close, the way his heartbeat felt against her palm when she lowered one of her hands to his chest and let it rest there. The last time she had him _this _kind of near life had abandoned him… Tauriel closed her eyes when Kili moved forward, and two seconds later his lips were on hers. He just moved his lips against hers leisurely, with a tenderness she'd never known before and she liked the way his lips felt on hers. His beard tickled and she thanked he seemed unable to grow it longer than that. Tauriel dipped her head to one side and let him entangle his hand in her long, red hair until he cupped the back of her head.

On mutual agreement, they both opened their mouths and Tauriel instantly loved the way he tasted. She couldn't even describe it because it wouldn't make any sense, it was just pure Kili. As the kiss deepened Tauriel thought it was impossible to love him more, and yet it wouldn't surprise her to find such thing could happen. Her lungs were burning by the time they parted; she welcomed the fresh air but missed his touch immediately. When she blinked her eyes open Kili's smile was so bright she almost went blind.

"Will you stay here in Erebor?" he asked, licking his lips in the process.

"Oh, Kili… I wish I could, but some of your people look at me like I'm an orc; and I still have affairs waiting for me in Mirkwood, some of them I've been postponing for too long…"

"And what if I go to Mirkwood?" Kili knit his brows together after hearing his own suggestion. "Forget that, I'm the…" his throat went dry "I'm the heir. Tauriel, there will never be a place where a dwarf and an elf are good together. "

She nodded.

"You're right, there isn't."

Kili gave her a knowing look and smirked at her the way he had when they first met, back when he was locked up in a cell and she subconsciously refused to leave his side.

"I know there's evil around, but the world is not caught up in its net completely. There are still beautiful places left to visit, oceans I want to sail and mountains I want to climb. Hopefully you'll come along."

"What are you suggesting? We run away? Kili, we can't do that. Your uncle needs you here; your _people_ need you here. I don't think Thorin would like you leaving just a week after Lord Balin's departure to the mines of Moria…" she spoke like she was running a marathon, her tongue tried hard to keep up with the pace of her brain and in the end Tauriel wasn't sure Kili had gotten the message. Point was she was against him forgetting his duty.

He played with the hem of his tunic like a child, Tauriel noticed he liked to keep his fingers busy; whenever he was nervous or bored he'd grab whatever was close to his hands to distract himself.

"I'm not saying _right now_, but it would be nice to go away for some time, don't you think? We could say these are days of peace, I'm sure Thorin doesn't need me every single day at all hours. Hunting fire moons does sound lovely."

Tauriel was about to make him reconsider his plan when a dwarf she'd never seen before found them; he carried a message from the King and let them know Thorin required Kili's presence. The messenger left them right after he delivered the message and both of them watched him go like they were in a trance of some sort. Tauriel admitted Kili's plan was all she needed to be happy, but saying yes would make her feel irresponsible –she didn't want to be the bad influence all mothers worried their children could meet when exposed to the rest of the world. To accept his proposal would mean disappointing Thorin… but what if going away was what made Kili heal? She promised she would keep saving him, after all.

Perhaps staying in Erebor, near the place his brother had died was doing him wrong… And they surely needed time alone to get to know each other better without people judging… Tauriel smiled, feeling embarrassed at the way she had coaxed herself so easily into his insanely attractive idea.

The decision was made without further thinking.

"Then yes," she said, earning a surprised look from the dwarf "when you deem the circumstances appropriate, we shall leave. The throne will wait."

Kili leaned in to kiss her, the gesture caught her by surprise and she kissed him with her eyes still open. He smiled into the kiss and caressed her cheek; when he moved his lips to the corner of her mouth Tauriel finally let her eyelids fall. He kissed her with patience, softly. When he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead she released a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding.

* * *

><p>A year after that conversation they were sitting on the top of a small mound in the middle of nowhere, trees were scattered all over the field and the lack of order was evident, it almost seemed like they had grown by accident… that single detail enhanced the exotic beauty of the land. Tauriel was at peace; her worries were left behind in Mirkwood along with Kili's responsibilities, except those took shelter between the solid walls of Erebor.<p>

Above them, the Moon was on fire. It painted red all of Kili's features and her hair looked like pure lava…

"This is by the far the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Tauriel whispered, looking up. The reddish golden glow would dye her dreams forever. She knew he was looking at her when he replied a smooth _same_, and thanked the Moon for helping her disguise her blush. A year later and he still could make her feel like an in love youngster.

"This is all thanks to you, Tauriel. You gave us this chance. Perhaps our story will be told ages after I'm gone, and you'll be a walking legend."

Her heartbeat sped up.

"Let's not talk about death; it's been plaguing our lives… So let's not talk about it tonight."

Kili nodded. "Of course, we'll talk about it when my hair turns white," then he smiled and patted his lap. Tauriel moved and rested her head on his thighs, enjoying the feeling of Kili's fingers playing with her long tresses right after she settled on his lap.

Tauriel let out a shaky breath.

"Yes… when we're old, we will talk about it."

He stopped his fingers.

"What are you talking about, Tauriel?"

Tauriel rolled on her side to face him, then planted her left forearm on the ground to lift her upper body and stretched her right arm to place her hand on his cheek. Kili's flummoxed stare made her nervous and her stomach was churning; tears welled up in her eyes but not because she was sad.

"_I chose to be a mortal with you."_

Kili kissed her with a passion that burned like the Moon above their heads.

* * *

><p>Continuation of the longest AN ever: first Beren and Lúthien, then Aragorn and Arwen... Now you can add Tauriel and Kili to your list.

Up there *points to the chapter* is the fluff I promised and the _Kiliel everywhere_. Perhaps now you see why I was excited, there's a lot going on.

So leave a review! Hopefully you won't hate me for what I did and leave positive feedback, and if you do hate me... Well, I was bound to let you down since the moment you clicked the title of this fic; this was the conclusion I had envisioned.

The epilogue is coming :)


	5. Caraniêl

**Epilogue**

"She doesn't have a beard," said Gloin.

"Do you think she'll ever grow it?" asked Ori.

Oin barked in laughter.

"Of course she won't, you little fool! Have you seen her mother?" this time Bifur spoke, eyeing the rest of his comrades like they were children and he was the only grown up with common sense.

"She's hairless!" protested Dori.

"But it's not entirely her fault. Have you seen her father? The lad is almost hairless himself, for a dwarf that is…" Bofur came forward and let the little baby hold on to one of his fingers as he talked.

Dwalin nodded, getting closer. "And she's really pretty; none of us ever looked this sweet."

"Who said something about sweets? You got any?" Bombur, who seemed to be paying attention to everything but the conversation that was being held around him, spoke for the first time and earned some furious looks as a response to his previous comment.

"Just one and that is the baby. Doubt you want to eat her," Balin smiled at Bombur, then patted his back and showed him all the sympathy he could muster in said gesture.

"Where is Nori?" asked Dori.

"He went along with Thorin and Kili to Dale, I believe…" Gloin's answer faded as he leaned forward into the crib to get a better look of the baby.

"What? What could possibly be Nori's business in Dale?" Ori asked timidly, as if he were worried of waking up the little girl.

Bifur eyed him suspiciously. "For Durin's beard! Why do you talk so low? Babe's not even sleeping!" he pointed out.

Ori knit his brows together, clearly annoyed. "She might be if you weren't talking like we're miles away from each other!"

The sound of a door being pushed open interrupted their conversation, in came the three missing dwarves.

"Now, now, gentlemen. I remember saying you were welcome to greet my daughter, crowding her was not part of the deal," Kili smiled as he approached the other dwarves, who were paralyzed on the spot. All of them were around the crib, if not all over it. His friends made way for him and Kili stood next to the crib, watching his daughter stare right back at him.

Balin came forward and put his arm around Kili's shoulders.

"Tell us, son, what's the name of this little girl?"

Thorin, who'd been silent all along, finally spoke.

"If you truly seek the answer to that question then perhaps you should wait for her mother to come over, Kili here has trouble explaining…" Thorin earned a hurt look from his nephew he recognized to be false, so instead of making another remark, he just winked his eye at him.

Balin smiled knowingly and nodded.

"Then it's an Elven name, isn't it?" guessed Bifur.

"Yes, yes it is…" Kili sighed.

Five minutes later Tauriel walked in only to be greeted by Thorin Oakenshield's company. They all stared at her in silence and Tauriel smiled, trying to ignore the tension that thickened with every passing second. She thanked the Valar Kili came to her aid and immediately requested her to tell his friends the name of their daughter.

This time she smiled with pride.

"Her name is Caraniêl."

To say they were flummoxed wouldn't suffice.

"Does it mean anything?" Oin seemed to be the most troubled one.

Kili took the baby in his arms and rocked her gently, swaying like the soothing tide of the Anduin River.

"Red Star. That's the meaning in common tongue; otherwise her name's in Sindarin…" Kili explained more to the girl in his arms than his companions. Tauriel admired how easily he could get lost in her, and it made her love him more every single day.

_**Red** for the Moon that was burning like our passion and **Star** for the time Kili thought I walked in starlight, in another world. _

_She'll shine forever, and burn everyone she meets with the love that runs in her veins._

After some more chatter Thorin asked the dwarves to leave Tauriel and Kili be with their daughter, when they left the two of them felt like they could breathe again. It didn't matter the other dwarves seemed to have forgiven Tauriel for keeping them locked in Mirkwood years ago, their situation was awkward at best. They tried for Kili's sake and were slowly making progress, every now and then she'd become more interested in the world of mining and they, for a change, would ask her to tell the stories of old… If the mood was right, then they'd ask about her people's traditions.

"It's scary…" Kili whispered, sitting down on a bench that was placed next to a big window, still the landscape outside was outshined by the beauty of Caraniêl and he didn't dare take his eyes off the girl "how much she resembles you," he continued "she barely has hair but you can tell she'll have your red-flamed hair. And don't get me started on her pointy ears; they're so small and pretty…"

Tauriel walked to sit right next to him, her eyes on the girl too.

"But she has your eyes, the same heart-warming shade of brown."

"I wish Fili was here to see her, I'm sure he would've loved her."

Her eyes watered. "And I'm sure he's watching," Tauriel always told him that, and she truly believed in her words "she would've loved him too."

After some minutes in utter silence, Kili tore his eyes away from Caraniêl and looked up at Tauriel, then he smirked.

"What do you think her height will be? That's the real question, don't you think?"

Tauriel laughed.

"Perhaps taller than you but shorter than me, does it really matter?"

"It doesn't. Regardless of her physical appearance she's beautiful, and most importantly, she's ours." Kili kissed the tiny forehead once he finished talking.

Tauriel never thought she could be so happy; not when she'd been so close to remain miserable for the rest of her life. She wouldn't ever stop thanking Ilúvatar and the Valar, and now more than ever she would look after her family. So she leaned in and kissed him, she let herself linger in the kiss for a few seconds before pulling away with a wide smile on her face.

_And faraway from Erebor, in the sacred lands of the Valar, Aulë watched with happiness the scene that played in that room, he could feel the love, that love that had travelled in time and all the distance across Arda to reach him as an almost physical entity. _

_It was meant to be._

_Kili and Tauriel were always meant to be._

The end.

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><p>AN: Well, I fell in love with this idea and that's why I felt like writing it... Now that it's over I don't know what to do. Had I been able to write more chapters, trust me, I would have done it; but my mind said it was time to let it go.

**THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS! **They meant (and mean) a lot! They do.

I hope you liked the epilogue! And I also hope you'll review one last time :)

Let my love travel the globe and reach you, for this is goodbye (at least for now). We'll read each other soon!


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